Forum Fest

A festival born from the youth of Andretta

Forum Fest is one of the most anticipated summer events in Andretta, a municipality in the Alta Irpinia area of the Avellino province, in Campania. The event was founded in 2024 by the Andretta Youth Forum, a group of local young people who chose music as a tool to bring the community together and showcase the region to visitors. In just a few years, the festival has become a cornerstone of the summer calendar in inland Irpinia, attracting audiences from neighboring towns and provinces.

The formula is simple and effective: one big night, an open-air stage set up in a rural square, free admission, and a program that blends live music, traditional brass band performances, and DJ sets. The project is driven by around thirty young volunteers, supported by the local parish; it is a collective effort reflected in the careful setup and the warm, family-like atmosphere of the evening.

Folk music at its heart

The core of Forum Fest is the folk music of Southern Italy: tarantella, pizzica, folk songs, and contemporary reinterpretations of the Irpinian rural repertoire. Alongside groups dedicated to this heritage, the stage hosts rock-folk bands and lighter projects, creating a lineup designed to get all generations dancing. A constant presence is the Banda Musicale Città di Andretta, a historic institution that ties the evening to the town's musical traditions.

This focus on traditional repertoire is not just a stylistic choice: in Alta Irpinia, festive music has always accompanied agricultural cycles, patron saint feasts, and processions. Forum Fest serves as a youthful, contemporary evolution of that same social function. For visitors unfamiliar with the area, it is an excellent gateway to Campanian folk culture.

The 2026 edition and guest Eugenio Bennato

The third edition, held on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in the square of Contrada Pisciolo, marked a significant step forward thanks to the appearance of Eugenio Bennato, one of the most authoritative voices in Italian ethnic music and the taranta tradition. The program opened with NDG DJ and King Magnotta, followed by live concerts from the Banda Musicale Città di Andretta and groups including Popularity, Evergreen, Silvino, Tonuccio, and Molotov d'Irpinia. The evening was hosted by Giuseppe Terlizzi and Mariangela Damiano.

From the stage to the DJ set, until dawn

When the concerts end, the square doesn't empty out: the second part of the night is dedicated to DJ sets, which have featured prominent names from the Irpinian and Campanian scenes over the years. This has become a well-established tradition of Forum Fest, which literally continues until dawn, explaining why so many local youths consider this the most awaited night of the summer.

Flavors of Irpinia

A key part of the festival takes place in the food and beverage area, set up next to the stage with local specialties: typical Irpinian products, traditional rural dishes, and wines from the Avellino province, one of the most prestigious wine-growing areas in Southern Italy. It is the perfect opportunity to sample the best of Alta Irpinia in an informal setting.

Andretta and the Alta Irpinia

Andretta is a small village overlooking the Ofanto valley, situated in an area of ridges, forests, and open landscapes typical of Alta Irpinia. The town preserves a compact historic center and is also known for other cultural initiatives, such as the national literary prize dedicated to Francesco De Sanctis. The choice to host the stage in a contrada (rural district) rather than the town center is intentional: it is a way to highlight the outlying hamlets and the agricultural landscape surrounding the village.

Who is it for?

• Fans of folk, traditional, and ethnic music from Southern Italy
• Families and residents of the Alta Irpinia municipalities
• Young people looking for a night of open-air concerts and DJ sets
• Travelers curious to discover the Campanian hinterland away from mainstream tourist routes